Fearless Fitness Weekly Update 2/ 27: Exercise Your Charity Muscle

1.) Caroline Jordan Fitness Schedule and Special Events February 28 – March 6th

Monday 2/28: *** SPECIAL EVENT: Please join me for my LAST class at the San Francisco Bay Club. This 45 min. ride starts at 12:05pm. Would love to share one more workout with Bay Club Members! See you there @ theSan Francisco Bay Club. I am also teaching my regular evening classes monday… 5:30pm Competition Core and 6-645pm Chisel’d, 6:50-7:30pm Muscles On The Mat** EQUINOX

Find more information on specific club locations by clicking on the links included above.

Whats the SECRET to making your fitness goals a reality?! Getting quality SUPPORT with PERSONAL TRAINING. Programs are carefully tailored to fit the unique fitness needs of each client and combined with lifestyle coaching for complete health and happiness. With constant support, encouragement, and guidance…. you CAN and WILL achieve your wellness goals this year. . Don’t wait till next year to be healthier: Contact Me for details.

For other wonderful community fitness events, check out the lululemon athletica Grant Avenue community online SCHEDULE.

Fearless Fitness TIP of the Week: Exercise Your Charity Muscle

“All I can do is be the best in me that I can. And live life with some gusto. Giving back is a big part of that.” – Michelle Obama

Combining a charitable event with your fitness goals is a great way to stay motivated and contribute to the world. Fitness themed charity events are an awesome way to mix fitness and fundraising and connect to other active folks within the community. Here are my top FOUR reasons you should exercise for charity:

1. Be part of something bigger than yourself. By participating, you are joining hundreds and thousands of others who have the same goal of helping people—and that just feels good! Many participants would probably tell you that they wouldn’t have just signed up for a race on their own, but knowing they would be helping others motivated them to do so.

2. Be part of a team. Anyone who played sports in high school or college will tell you that when their “career” ended, one of the biggest things they missed was being a part of a team. Participating in an event with a charity group puts you on a team of other runners, walkers, cyclists, and fitness enthusiasts who have a united goal and purpose. You even get to wear the same shirts or jerseys in most cases. If you’ve always longed to be on a team, or miss the team energy, this is a great opportunity to get back to it!

3. Build special relationships. I believe NOTHING brings people closer than MOVING together. Sharing in the training experience and encouraging one another builds bonds and friendships that last long after the event is over. The group that SWEATS together stays together – by participating in a charity event, you’ll gain friendships that last forever 🙂

4. Get the tools you need to accomplish your goal. You may have had a lifelong dream of completing a marathon or even a triathlon, but there was one problem: You didn’t know how to train to get there. Groups like the Leukemia Society’s Team In Training provide coaches who will give you weekly schedules so you know exactly what to do and when to do it. They also provide other tips for training and fundraising. Their goal is for you to succeed in your event and fundraising and to have a great overall experience. There are even local groups with these teams that meet for weekly runs or walks. Most charity fitness events provide you with all the tools you need to GET FIT while working towards your fundraising event.

How do you get involved in a charity race? It works like this.

A charity group identifies an event, such as a half or full marathon 5K or 10K run/walk, bike tour, or triathlon.

The charity then recruits participants who agree to raise money for the charity and personally participate in the race itself.

Participants typically pay a race entry fee (which can range from $10 to $40 on average). This money usually goes directly to the charity group, but also reserves a participant’s spot in the race.

In the months or weeks leading up to the event, participants are asked to raise funds, and are often encouraged to meet a minimum fundraising goal, as set by the charity. Participants will ask their friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers to donate money to the cause on their behalf.

In turn, the charitable organization often provides support, coaching, encouragement, and training to help participants reach not only their fundraising goals, but also the level of fitness necessary to participate in the race.

There are many charity fitness teams out there like the well-known Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program, which offers various events all over the country. (If you have ever seen a lot of people in purple tank tops during televised marathons or races, those are the folks!). Theres also the Tour de Cure bike ride for the American Diabetes Association, The AIDS LifeCycle, or the Cycle For Survival. With THOUSANDS of races, causes, and fundraisers going on, you can ALWAYS find a way to get fit and give back.
A charity fitness event is a win-win scenario. But more accurately, it’s a “win-win-win” scenario! You win by completing a dream or fitness feat. The charity wins by receiving the funding they need to fulfill their mission. And the people helped by the charity win by benefiting from the research, services, education and support that the charity provides. How much better can it get?

Fearless Fitness CHALLENGE of the week: Get FIT to GIVE BACK to something.

The thought of walking a half marathon, running a marathon, completing a triathlon or event may seem challenging…. but it IS POSSIBLE. These organizations give you the tools, coaching, and motivation you need to make it happen, no matter what your fitness level. (And trust me, there are people of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels training and completing these events.) Why not go for it and do something you never thought possible? Choose a charity that is close to your heart, something you really believe in, and make your dream—and the dreams of others—come true!

Have you ever participated in a fitness fundraiser or charity? What was your experience?

As you know, this weekend I am riding in CYCLE FOR SURVIVAL at Equinox San Francisco.

This event will raise funds for pioneering research into rare cancers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

100 % of the money raised goes to the cause. Cycle For Survival 2011 will be an incredibly inspiring event.

Through this fundraiser, we will have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people affected by rare cancers.

If you’d like to help me and contribute to this AMAZING cause, please visit the link to go to my fundraising page, where you can make a tax-deductible online donation.